Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1887-03-31
TO MINOR BOYS AND GIRLS AND
THEIR PARENTS.


remissness of our youth, by the remarks
of an old citizen and prominent business
man in this city, on witnessing the lat
hours the young were to be seen On tn,
streets and 10 the saloons, idliug ava,
their time and imbibing thoughts ans
impressions which could not but iniur
their moral character, and impair tbei
integrity and standing in the eyes of al
well disposed citizens. Says he to us
What is to be done with the young mer
aud boys in this city, who idle away Sc
much time in frivolous past time, boil
night and day, which detracts both from
their moral and mental work, ant
destroy confidence in their integrity ant
worth, and asked US the question: How
many boys, among the great number il
this city, can you find whose habits make
them desirable lads to trust in any re
sponsible positions aud can be depended
upon? Where are they drifting to!
They stay away from school. They
don't come home nights till long after
hours when honest boys are in bed and
asleep. They are constantly exposed to
the temptations of the vile and the worst
elements Of our society. What is the
duty of fathers, mothers and guardians
to arrest these bad habits? | wish you
newspaper men would call attention to
these facts We fel. rebuked at these
questions although we as a newspaper
man are not responsible for this state of
things, but because, perhaps, we have
not devoted as much attention to these
bad habits as we could have done and as
much as their case demanded of us.
But primarily, the parents are respon-
sible for this state ofthings, But in the
same case we know these parents don't
know what is going on with their sons
after night. They suppose them in
good company, or that they are in bed
at reasonable hour, when in fact they
are off and in bad company. They have
learned to be dishonest with their
parents when asked their whereabouts.
A writer in the New York World
represents the fact above. They are as
follows:
l do not like to SOW the seed Of suspi.
cion in the minds of parents about their
children, but there are thousands and
thousands of parents in our great cities
who think, who know that their children
"never lie and yet their tongue is like
q Bonded bow. They think their chill
dren never drink but there is not
fashionable saloon within mile of their
homes that the boys are not familiar
With. They think their children never
10 unvirtuous things; and yet they reek
with unyirture. There are many young
men who, when they return to their
fathers houses, are supposed to have
been making visits to this or that person. |
It is mere guise.
The practice of allowing children to 90
'ut at night to find their own compan.
ons and their own places of amusement
nay leave one i'll twenty unseathed and
without danger; but l think that nine
cen out of twenty fall down wounded or
destroyed. Aud if there is one thing
hat should be more imperative than an.
Their, it is that your children shall be at
'ome at night, or that, ifthey are
broad, you shall be abroad with them.
And further on he says:
And it does not require that child
houla be broken down to be made use.
IS by his exposures to temptation. I
YER that there are many things which
man can learn without being damaged
them all his life long. There are
ANY thoughts which ought never to
nd passage through a mans brain.
s an eel, if he were to wriggle across
our carpet, would leave slime which
D brush could take off, so there are
ANY things no person can know and
Ter recover from the knowledge OF.
There are the minions of Satan that {
around with hidden pictures and
'oks under the lapels of their coats,
owing them to the young, with glazing,
stall, hideous, internal scenes repre-. i
nted, which once to have seen is to re-
ember. +
| can say these things, when some
hers could not, because l am known
d want to be known, as friend of
easure. l rebuke the young who h
'uld turn monks. l do not believe in
itude. l do not believe in melancholy ~
believe in gayety and ioyousness. And
believe that the closer man keeps to ii
9 laws OF nature the happier he will be a
I